16 Jul 2016

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Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon meets with African leaders during AU Summit in Kigali to discuss South Sudan situation. UN Photo/RIck Bajornas

Now is the time to send a strong message to the South Sudanese leadership, the UN Secretary-General urged leaders from Africa on Saturday.

Ban Ki-moon made the remarks during a special Summit of the regional trading bloc IGAD focusing on regional peace and security.

The meeting was held on the margins of the 27th African Union (AU) Summit in Rwanda.

Jocelyne Sambira has the story.

The world cannot afford to let South Sudan slip back into civil war, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told African heads of State attending the Summit in Kigali.

He described the fighting there as “horrendous” and “unacceptable”.

Mr Ban said he was appalled by the indiscriminate attacks on civilians and peacekeepers as well as the immense loss of the lives and suffering the crisis has inflicted on the people of South Sudan.

The world must speak with one voice to end the violence, he underscored.

The African Union and IGAD have strongly condemned the fighting in South Sudan and ceasefire violations.

The Secretary-General recalled that leaders will be held accountable for their actions, including the military chain of command, the chiefs of general staff and other officials who are complicit in perpetrating the violence.

Jocelyne Sambira, United Nations.

Duration: 53”